Curtain-fixture.



I No. 721,449.

- PATENTBD FEB. 24,1903. H. E. KEELER. CURTAIN FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1902.

no menu.

' ITNESSIES:

" INVENTOR I BY VMWATTORNLIEYS UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. KEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CUIRTAIN- FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721349, dated February 24, 1903.

' Application filed November 1, 1902. Serial No. 129,653. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. KEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the same.

This invention relates to curtain-fixtures, and it relates especially to such curtain-fix tures as are employed to hold spring-actuated curtains in position as these curtains are used on railway-cars or in other places.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-letter refers to similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is an elevation, parts being shown in section, of an embodiment of this invention as applied to a spring-actuated curtain. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view showing one shoe and the cooperating parts. Fig.3 is a similar view showing a modified construction. Fig. 4is a detail sectional viewshowing still a difierent construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the curtain O, of usualconstruction, is attached to the ordinary spring roller B. The guideways A extend on either side of the curtain, as is well known in this art. The curtain-tube D may be secured to the lower end of the curtain in any desired way, as by securing thistube in a pocket at the bottom of the curtain,- as is indicated.

The shoes E, which cooperate with the guideways A on either side of the curtain, are secured to the curtain so that theyare mounted to reciprocate transversely of the'curtain and are preferably also accurately guided during this reciprocation. This may be accomplished by rigidly securing to the shoes E the plungers F, which fit accurately within the curtain-tube D, and which are lherebyguided so as to accurately reciprocate transversely of the curtain. Each of these shoes is also preferably pressed outward into engagement with the guideways, the spiral spring T being indicated within the curtain-tube and acting upon the plunger F, the inner end of this spring being supported by the collar R, which may be secured in position by the screws or other fastening devices .8. In order to pretion at. any desired point.

vent the plunger from coming out of the tube,

a ferrule U may be used having an inwardlyprojecting flange indicated, which extends inward over the end of the --curtain-tube, and thereby prevents the plunger from coming out of the tube. secured to the curtain-tube, and this may be accomplished by the screw connection indicated in the drawings. that the curtain-shoes need not be mounted on the curtain in this particular way, although it is desirable that they be mounted .so as to reciprocate transversely of the curis because the distance between that portion of the tread of the guiding member in contact with the guideway from the point va- It will be understood .This ferrule should be firmly ries during the irregular rotation of the guiding member, so that, as will be readily understood, the plungers are forced inward at intervals against the spring action, and

the curtain is thereby held securely in posi- This irregular rotation of the guide-rolls may, be effected by using the construction shown in detail in Fig. 2 of. the drawings. The guiding members are preferably formed with treads of gripping material, so that they engage the guideways sufficiently to insure the rotation of the rolls as the curtainrfixture is moved along the guideways. Asindicated inFigl 2, the tread H of gripping material is rigidly securedto the roll G, and this may be accomplished in any desired way. The roll is formed, as indicated, with the elongated noncircular pivot-opening 0, within which the pivot K fits loosely, so as to allow the irregular rotation of the roll about this pivot. The roll at the other end of the shoe is mounted in an exactly-similar manner. If desired, however, the non-circular pivot-opening in the roll may take the form indicated in Fig. 3, in which this opening M is substantially triangular in form, the pivot K fitting loosely within it, so as to allow the irregular rotation of the roll caused by the contact of its tread H with the guideway. As shown in that figure, the plunger F is guided within the outer end of the curtain tube D and is pressed outward by the springT indicated. This plunger is prevented from coming entirely out of the tube by the screw or pin X, which is securely fastened to the plunger and which passes through the slot or opening W in the cu rtaintube. By this means the plunger is allowed the requisite freedom of movement, and yet is kept within the tube under all conditions. It will be understood, of course, that these rolls rotate in the slots L, formed at either end of the shoe. The roll may be, if desired, formed entirely of gripping material-such, for instance, as rubber, wood fiber, or other material which will possess the requisite strength, and yet engage the guideways sufficiently firmly so as to be positively rotated by contact therewith. Fig. 4 shows the roll N formed in this way, and the roll is in dicated in that figure as provided with a non-circular pivot-opening V, substantially squareshaped, in which the pivot P fits loosely to allow the irregular rotation of the roll.

It is of course understood by those familiar with this art that variations may be made in the form and proportions of parts without departing from the spirit of this invention. Furthermore, parts of this invention may be used without employing all of the same, and parts of this invention as disclosed herein may be employed in connection with other devices. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the disclosure which has been made in this case; but

What I claim as new, and what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In a curtain-fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, a curtain-tube secured to said ourtain, springpressed plungers mounted at either end of said tube, ferrules secured to said tube and projectinginward over the ends of the same to hold said plungers within said tube, shoes secured to said plungers, guideways on either side of said curtain with which said shoes cooperate, pivots in the ends of said shoes and rolls having treads of gripping material mounted on said shoes, said rolls being provided with elongated non-circular pivot-openings in which said pivots loosely fit.

2. In a curtain-fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, guideways adjacent said curtain on either side of the same, shoes secured to said curtain to reciprocate transversely of the same and to cooperate with said guideways, pivots in the ends of said shoes and rolls having treads of gripping material and being provided with elongated non-circular pivot-openings through which said pivots pass.

3. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, said shoe comprising pivots at either end of the same and rolls provided with elongated non-circular pivot-openings through which said pivots loosely pass to allow the irregular rotation of said\ rolls.

4. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, said shoe comprising pivots and rotating guiding members, provided with elongated non-circular pivot-openings through which said pivots pass, to be pressed into engagement with said guideway and to be rotated irregularly thereby. 5. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, said shoe comprising pivots and rotating guiding members provided with non-circular pivotopenings in which said pivots loosely fit to allow the irregular rotation of said guiding members.

6. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to cooperate with a guideway, said shoe comprising a pivot and a rotating guiding member having a noncircular opening in which said pivot loosely fits to allow the irregular rotation of said guiding member when pressed into contact with said guideway.

7. In a curtain-fixture, a'spring-actuated curtain, guideways adjacent said curtain, shoes to cooperate with said guideways,means to mount said shoes on said curtain and to press them outward, pivots in said shoes and rotating guiding members having non-circular pivot-openings therein mounted on said pivots to be rotated irregularly by contact with said guideways.

HERBERT E. KEELER.

Witnesses:

HARRY L. DUNCAN, JESSIE B. KAY. 

